On the final drive during the review to see if Marcedes Lewis catch was a completion, I sitting in front of my TV screaming why aren’t the Jags lined up ready to go. I knew the clock would continue. How does an NFL coach(Del Rio) not know that the clock will start as soon as they confirmed the catch and have his team ready to snap the ball. Are you kidding me? How much longer do we have to endure incompotent coaching and play calling?

beastson says:Sep 25, 2011 4:26 PM

Rookie hit the wall early in that monsoon but then was allowed by coaches to go out there and make the plays for his first victory.

Cam was awful for majority of the day but put it behind him and came through on game winning drive. Win is a win.

tradeassociation says:Sep 25, 2011 4:37 PM

The Jaguars would be 2-1, possibly 3-0, if they still had David Garrard. Hope they’re happy. Oh yeah, and the Texans lost a big lead to a playoff caliber team (big shocker there) meaning same old Texans. Get this: had the Jaguars held onto Garrard, they’d have a shot at that division. Had they held onto Garrard AND upgraded their WRs – which they have strangely refused to do for the past 4 years – they would WIN that division.

As far as Cam Newton goes … where are the “he still doesn’t have a win yet” people? And no INTs today against a good defense either. 4 TDs, 4 INTs, 2 rushing TDs, no fumbles. 6 TDs against 4 turnovers. Oh, and 1012 passing yards. At 60% completions. 117 attempts in 3 games … almost 40 a game. And his first 4th quarter comeback.

And this is with only one season of college ball (though his JUCO season does count kinda sorta … the Panthers did look at film from his JUCO season) and missing all the offseason stuff except for the abbreviated preseason.

On the post game show Jack Del Rio actually said that the refs should have helped the coaching staff out on that horrible display of clock management following the final challenge (really, its the refs job?)….Soooo, what is Wayne paying you 5 million a year for Jack?

favreforever says:Sep 25, 2011 4:47 PM

Basically a sawoff between Newton and Gabbert in their first meetin. Cam got the win, but Gabbert had a lot of passes dropped by those D grade receivers he works with. Penalties hurt Jags as well, and weather made it hard to expect a good game.

tradeassociation says:Sep 25, 2011 4:54 PM

various panther fans:

I disagree. Vince Young delivered wins, plenty of them. But Young couldn’t throw the ball anywhere close to what Newton is doing right now, which is why Young is the backup in Philadelphia instead of the starter in Tennessee right now.

And come on … your team went 2-14 last year (and against a pretty manageable schedule at that) for a reason. The Panthers aren’t contending for the playoffs – let alone the Super Bowl – this year. So, the rare opportunities for a winnable game, play like today. Otherwise (such as the 6 games against the Bucs, Falcons and Saints, all playoff contenders) just let Newton throw as much as possible so he can learn to throw the ball in the NFL.

Now the Jaguars on the other hand … had Garrard and Jones-Drew not gotten injured down the stretch, they would have won the AFC South last year. Gabbert was given a team that SHOULD be competitive, especially in that division.

Jags would have won the division? Doubtful. Mediocre talent is mediocre talent. Jones-Drew is above average for sure, but Garrard was middle of the road at best.

oarangecrush says:Sep 25, 2011 5:15 PM

cam newton plays like crap againgst the crappiest team in the nfl and they win ………………… hmmm……

favreforever says:Sep 25, 2011 5:28 PM

@tradeassociation – Newton has much better weapons to work with than Gabbert, regardless of the team records last season. Carolina went out and spent a lot of money bringing in guys like Shockey, Olson, Nanee, and giving the big bucks to Williams and Smith.

Jacksonville let their top receiver walk and replaced him with a castoff from the 49ers. Panther’s payroll is close to $40 million higher than Jacksonville’s.

elotrain says:Sep 25, 2011 5:38 PM

Suck for justin blackmon doesn’t have the same ring as suck for luck but it’s what the Jags should be doing. That and to get Jdr outta here

When it comes to Cam Newton, everyone says ‘Look at his record-setting rookie start.’ All I want to know is who had the record before? Crickets…

A win is a win though. With QB’s, like golfers or kickers, its a mental thing where if you start out winning you build off that and become great. Look at Tom Brady or Big Ben to see where I’m coming from on that. They were both decent (but not Heisman winners or even candidates) college players who reached another level because they learned the NFL as winners not losers.

Its a rare bird (John Elway comes to mind) who goes into NFL and learns it on their face or looking at the sky in pain first year and turns themselves into winner from that experience. Its really rare.

That’s the most important thing for Newton, if he can win six, seven straight…see playoffs his first year, not get banged up, then you can talk about building a winner with that guy. But its the first experiences much as the man you start with that adds up over time.

jagwar73 says:Sep 25, 2011 6:18 PM

The Jags let one get away. Blaine was definitely a bright spot though. Receivers, if the ball hits you in the hands or the chest, please catch it. The future looks good with Gabbert. Go Jags!

11inthebox says:Sep 25, 2011 6:19 PM

@therealzeitgeist who says:

With QB’s, like golfers or kickers, its a mental thing where if you start out winning you build off that and become great. Look at Tom Brady or Big Ben to see where I’m coming from on that. They were both decent (but not Heisman winners or even candidates) college players who reached another level because they learned the NFL as winners not losers.
—————————————
Dude. Are you f——g kidding me?

So by your logic, Newton has MORE to prove because of his strong start? And he has to win six or seven in a row and make the playoffs to prove himself? To whom? You?

Your arms must be killing you from that kind of stretch.

Just let it go. I know you’re really upset because guys like you just can’t ever admit when they’re wrong.

I’m sure you’re one of the bitter, angry masses who predicted he would be a bust. But rather than saying,” hey, I know its early, but the kid might be okay,” you choose to offer this really weak crap.

Actually, you completely misunderstood what I’m saying. What I’m saying is its better for Newton to get wins than stats because that matters more in the long run for development into a great QB…and that means just about any QB.

I’m not rooting for or against Cam Newton. He’s got a good coach with Ron Rivera, good weapons, and the Panthers are actually pretty well run club from front-office with a good owner. He’s got about as good a setup to succeed as you’re going to get, I’d be surprised if he didn’t do a lot better than other recent Heisman winning QB’s who then got stuck on NFL teams mired in losing ways, again it re-enforces what I said in my first post:

Alex Smith (’nuff said), Troy Smith (jury’s out, but not looking good), Weinke (another Panther for you), Carson Palmer, (banged up, never recovered), Matt Leinart (need I say more?). The big stand-out QB’s of recent memory in the NFL weren’t huge winners in college, but they on-boarded onto relatively good teams with good coaching staffs with the idea of winning in the org’s DNA. It makes a difference, and I think it will make a difference with Newton.

And next time, learn how to comprehend what you read before going off the handle. Jeesh.

KeepitReal says:Sep 25, 2011 8:33 PM

@therealzeitgeist

Your theory on winning at the start is DEAD wrong. All of these quarterbacks started out big time LOSERS and started in losing organizations.

1. Peyton Manning: Lots of stats, for his first decade was getting reputation as Stats Boy but Choker. Looks increasingly like one ring and he’s done.

2. Troy Aikman: Learned NFL with coach learning NFL, Jimmy Johnson. Had hard time his first season, was in winning ways by his second.

3. Brett Favre: Four passes for no completions and two INTs in his first season with….the Falcons. After coming in on game 3 of next season for the Packers started 6-game win streak (missed playoffs by one game) and rest is history. Who else was having first Packer year then? Mike Holmgren. Who else was on the coaching staff? A roster of winners.

4. John Elway: Rare bird, but in a good organization that hired a good coach (Dan Reeves).

5. Drew Brees: Started with the Chargers playing Martyball. Never institutional loser.

6. Tony Romo: This guy’s a winner? Fact is, since Parcells – aka a ‘winner’ left – Cowboys have just flipped around a lot like a fish out of water. Maybe they’ll be better now.

7. Eli Manning: Middle-of-road, hardly great, good enough with a fluke catch by a guy they cut to win it all. Between Thanks Daddy and luck there isn’t much there.

The three guys I mentioned in my original post: Elway, Big Ben, and Brady have seven rings. With Elway off your list, your six picks has as many rings as my three.

Winning!

KeepitReal says:Sep 25, 2011 10:12 PM

@therealzeitgeist
onto relatively good teams with good coaching staffs with the idea of winning in the org’s DNA
__________________________________

You want to have it both ways. If the teams becomes good after the quarterback. Well, they had a good team and coaching staff. If the team stays horrible well the team and coaching staff were bad. Has it ever occurred to you that Peyton, Aikman, Favre, Elway, Brees ect.. made those teams good? lol Under your reasoning those teams would have won with or without those quarterbacks. There’s a reason they say this is a quarterback driven league. How good and how many Super Bowls have those teams won without those quarterbacks? Look at the Colts this year. Look how bad the Saints were before Brees. I’m done

I can’t disagree with you there Keepitreal. Good coaches look great with good QB’s and vice-versa.

But I’m saying it takes two to tango.

My contention here is a guy like an Alex Smith or Troy Smith would be much better with a good staff that can recruit a running game and O-line, that kind of thing.

Taking it back to Cam Newton for instance, you think he would do well with, say, Jim Mora Jr coaching? Jim Mora Jr. had the super-talent to make the likes of Michael Vick look ordinary. Or have Cam dumped onto the 2007 49ers and told to swim without a lifejacket? Go get’em 2008 Lions? Nope.

That’s what I’m talking about. Everyone would be saying ‘Cam sucks’ as his O-line collapsed around him into sack after sack but moron Coach keeps telling him ‘you need to be a pocket passer’ even when pocket passing doesn’t work no matter who’s chucking the rock (see Vick under Mora). NFL might be quarterback driven, but from front office through the practice squad its most team of the team sports.

panthers will beat the bears. You heard it here first. We will focus on the beers one playmaker. Julius Peppers. We will shut him down, Jordan Gross has seen every one of peppers moves in practice for 4 years. shut down peppers and forte and the bears are very very beatable.

blancodiablo says:Sep 26, 2011 12:04 AM

tradeassociation says:Sep 25, 2011 4:37 PM

The Jaguars would be 2-1, possibly 3-0, if they still had David Garrard…blah…LA…blah

Which David Garrard are you talking about? The one still sitting on his couch? He had his chances, blew it and was kicked to the curb. Jags only mistake is they gave him one more chance versus trading him on draft day.

But dont worry Trade. Maybe Garrard will sign up for your flag football team in El Segundo so you can keep your man-crush alive.